Friday Apple Rumors: iPad Mini Sales Exceed Expectations

by Christopher Freeburn | December 14, 2012 2:37 pm

Friday Apple Rumors: iPad Mini Sales Exceed Expectations

[1]Here are your Apple rumors[2] and AAPL news items for today:

Mini Might: Industry research firm NPD DisplaySearch says that Apple‘s (NASDAQ:AAPL[3]) new iPad Mini is close to outselling the standard-sized iPad[4], CBS News notes. Apple introduced the 7.9-inch iPad Mini in October. NPD notes that Apple had forecast sales of 6 million iPad Minis during the holiday quarter, but has now ordered its Asian manufacturing partners to produce more than 12 million units for the quarter. The basic WiFi-only iPad Mini starts at $329, compared to $499 for the latest generation full-sized iPad. NPD predicts that the iPad Mini could comprise half of all iPad sales next year. Apple is expected to sell 100 million iPads in 2013. But Apple’s manufacturing partners for the iPad Mini are already have trouble meeting demand, suggesting that Apple will need to add additional suppliers.

Pad Traffic: The majority of mobile Internet usage in the U.S. and Canada came from iPhones and iPads last month[5], Forbes noted. Apple devices produced 64% of mobile Internet traffic, according to industry research firm Chitika Insights. At the beginning of this year, Apple devices accounted for 58% of mobile Internet traffic. Samsung devices generated 13% of mobile Internet traffic in North America last month, while HTC devices produced 5%. While Samsung devices have kept a relative stable share of U.S. and Canadian mobile Internet traffic, HTC devices saw their share plunge from 14% earlier in the year.

Far East Debut: Starting today, Chinese consumers can finally buy Apple’s new iPhone 5[6], CNET notes. In order to prevent mobs at its Chinese Apple Stores, the company implemented a reservation system. Customers without a reservation system cannot purchase an iPhone at Apple Stores in China today. Consequently, crowds seen in previous iPhone launches were absent in China today. Last year, unruly crowds damaged Apple’s Beijing store during the iPhone 4S launch. The iPad Mini and fourth-generation iPad launched in China last month. The iPhone 5 is available through China Unicom (NYSE:CHU[7]) and China Telecom (NYSE:CHA[8]), but is not yet carried on China Mobile (NYSE:CHL[9]), the world’s largest carrier.

For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors[10] stories.